The Wagga Wagga City Council in south-west NSW has drawn backlash after it passed a motion to sever all ties with its Chinese sister city Kunming amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The motion was spearheaded by Councillor Paul Funnell, who told the meeting the relationship was "farcical" and called on his fellow councillors to sever ties in light of what he called China's "lies to the world".
"The provincial governing body of Kunming and Chinese national institutions are an extension of the totalitarian communist regime of China - nothing more, nothing less," Cr Funnell said.
Wagga councillor Paul Funnell spearheaded the motion to cut ties with its Chinese sister city. Source: Wagga City Council
"We must end that relationship arrangement and not condone such behaviour."
With only six of the city's nine councillors present at the meeting, the motion was passed with a casting vote after three councillors voted each way.
Wagga City Council Mayor Greg Conkey, who could not be at the council meeting due to an illness, said he had already issued a motion to reverse the decision on Wednesday morning.
"I'm absolutely appalled by the decision. It's hypocrisy - the three councillors who voted in favour of it either directly or indirectly benefit from our very close trading ties with China," Cr Conkey told SBS News.
"It's all very well for them to say they're opposed to the central government, but that has nothing to do with our sister city and the strong friendship and ties we have with them."
Cr Conkey stressed that the decision was not reflective of his city's values, adding he had received "a number of emails" since the meeting from appalled residents.
Wagga City Council Mayor Greg Conkey. Source: Wagga City Council
"We are a very proud multicultural city, we have 112 nationalities represented and we speak 107 languages, so I'm really just devastated by this."
The mayor said that he was confident the motion would be successfully reversed with all nine councillors present.
'Racist dog-whistling at its worst'
Wagga resident and member of the NSW Legislative Council Wes Fang, who is the first Australian of Chinese heritage to represent the Nationals Party in the state parliament, told SBS News he was "appalled" by the council's decision.
"We’re blaming our sister city for events that happened over 1500 kilometres away and somehow trying to link it to the government - its racist dog whistling at its worst," Mr Fang said.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Wes Fang. Source: NSW Parliament
"To make a decision that has lasting and damaging ramification like this with an acting chair and a third of the council not in the chamber is, I think, appalling."
Mr Fang said he was concerned about the impacts the decision could have on Australians of Asian heritage in the region.
"Those Australians of Asian heritage, like myself, are pretty resilient, but it's death by a thousand cuts," he said.
"It's my kids that I worry about, and it's for their generation that we need to change the messaging now so when they grow up they are no longer facing these things."
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